IAABO? If not, why not? If you are, why?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

My comment below is an updated version of my Comment #9 in this thread on Aug. 18/Sat.(02:00pmEDT), 2001.

The question is: “Why should a Basketball Official belong to IAABO?” And my answer is: "Why not?”

I will answer the question using my profession (which is Engineering) as analogy. But first I should admit that I am a member of IAABO and a member of three of its national committees.

I have a Bachelor of Engineering a Major in Civil engineering (Concentrations: Structural Engineering, Highway Engineering, and Environmental Engineering) and Minors in Mechanical Engineering (Specialization: Engineering Mechanics) and Mathematics (Specialization: Scientific and Engineering Applications).

Firstly: I am an Engineer (by virtue that Youngstown (Ohio) State University's William Rayen School of Engineering is "old school" in that one is an Engineer, first, and an Engineer in a particular discipline, second; therefore, secondly: I am a Civil Engineer; and thirdly: I am a Structural Engineer which is the specialized sub-area in which I practice my Engineering profession.

In the Engineering profession there are two types of organizations to which an Engineer can belong: “Professional” and “Technical". I belong to both types of Engineering organizations.

I belong to two Professional associations: The National Association of Professional Engineers which is a Professional association that addresses ethical/professional, educational, research/technical, legal, and legislative/political matters that affect all Engineers regardless of their discipline. And I also belong to the Order of the Engineer (The U.S. version of the Canadian "Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer".).

I belong to three Technical associations: The American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California/Association of California. These are Technical associations
that address ethical/professional, educational, research/technical, legal, and legislative/political matters that affect Engineers that practice in Civil, Mechanical, and Structural Engineering respectively.

Do all Engineers belong to these organizations? No. Why do Engineers belong to them? There are many reasons. The most common reason is the educational information that one can derive from the organizations' publications and research. The second reason is probably networking because there is no profession that is not immune to politics. Some Engineers go further then just holding membership for the two aforementioned reasons. These Engineers take a very active role in the activities of the organizations to which they belong. Not all Engineers have to desire to do this and it is not necessary to stay a member in good standing, nor is membership in any Engineering organization mandatory or required.

How does Engineering relate to Basketball Officiating, in particular, and Sports Officiating in general? The answer is very simple: The same reasons Engineers belong to Professional and Technical organizations apply to Basketball Officials, particular, and Sports Officials, general.

All Sports Officials should belong to the Professional organizations for the Officials of Amateur Sports here in the United States: NASO and NFHS Officials Assn. (NFIOA). One does not have to take an active role in the activities of these organization, but the education value of membership in these organizations is priceless. I would hope that Sports Officials belong to NASO and NFIOA for the same reason that I belong to NSPE, if for nothing more that the educational benefits. Of course both organizations also have insurance programs for its members and represents it members as well as the officiating profession in a variety of other ways. Both NASO and NFIOA have both liability and secondary medical insurance coverage at no extra cost to it members which is worth its price in gold.

IAABO is a technical organization for Basketball Officials. Yes, I belong to IAABO and I am past member of three of it National Committees and have been a staffer at their Summer Camps. I also belong to three Local (Basketball) Officials Associations (LOA). All of these LOAs are OhioHSAA sanctioned and their primary purpose is educational. I also am a member of the Ohio Assn. of Bkb. Off. (a state wide association made up mostly of college Basketball Officials.) How active am I in these LOAs? That is a fair question.

I have been a member of the LOA (Trumbull Co. Bkb. Off. Assn., Warren, Ohio) in my home town (Liberty Township, Trumbull County) since the 1971-72 school year but have not attended a meeting since 1986; I maintain membership for sentimental reasons. The gentleman who was my H.S. Basketball Coach and my sister's and my H.S. Golf Coach was a founding member of it in 1948-49. The other two LOA’s I belong to are in my geographical area. Wood Co. Bkb. Off. Assn. (Bowling Green, Ohio) and the NW Ohio Dist. Bkb. Off. Assn. (Toledo, Ohio). I was the WCBOA's Rules Interpreter and Instructional Chairman from 1990-91 to 1999-2000.

As far as belonging to IAABO, the first question that I hear from officials who are not members and live in non-IAABO states is: "Will it get me more games?" No! It will not get an official more games. Rather, I would hope that Basketball Officials would join for at least the educational and insurance benefits that is members enjoy.

IAABO, in my humble opinion since the demise of Phil Bova's Camp, conducts the best teaching camps in the United States and works very closely with the NFHS in the education of basketball officials. Yes, in some parts of the United States and Canada, one must be a member of IAABO to be assigned games, but this is no different than being registered with one’s StateHSAA, but the primary focus of IAABO is the education and training of basketball officials. IAABO is the largest basketball officials association in the world and its educational materials are second to none. Membership will not get one more games but the educational value of belonging to IAABO is worth the membership dues. I hope that everyone who is not a member of IAABO would check out its website: http://www.IAABO.org, and try membership in the organization for a year or two.

For all of you who have had the patience to slog through my muses I thank you and hope that you all are having a great Summer.

MTD, Sr.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Prices aren't available on the NFHS website until August 1, 2022, but I bet that I will spend more than $8 for a 2022-23 NFHS Rulebook, a 2022-23 NFHS casebook, and postage.

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

The ebooks cost about $7 each.

Print books (2021-22) were $10.00 each, plus $12.78 shipping (for both books).

You can be damn well sure that I will include this as a business expense on my taxes.